Futsal: final 14 named for World Cup qualifiers in Albania

San Marino’s engagement in the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2028 qualifiers is just around the corner, with the national team entering at the Preliminary Round stage. In Group E, to be played in Tirana, they will face Latvia, Albania and Cyprus. The Biancazzurri will meet these opponents in that order, opening on Thursday against the Baltic side (09/04, 13:00), then taking on the hosts the following day (10/04, 19:00) and rounding off the group on Sunday afternoon (12/04, 15:00).

Of the three, only Latvia will be a completely new opponent. Since 2024 the team has been coached by former Italy head coach Massimiliano Bellarte. Co-organisers, together with Lithuania and Slovenia, of the final tournament of UEFA Futsal Euro 2026, Latvia finished behind France and Croatia in Group A, played in Riga. The Latvians enjoyed a notable 4-0 win over Georgia, a side ranked significantly higher in the FIFA Ranking. “In every group we find ourselves facing one game that is less accessible than the others, and the match with Latvia will be the most difficult hurdle,” admits San Marino head coach Roberto Osimani. “However, this must not discourage us, given that just two years ago – in the Euro qualifiers – our meeting with the group’s top seed earned us a point and an excellent performance” (Israel, 1-1). “In any case, this match will be an opportunity to test ourselves against a very high-level side.”

There is no shortage of previous encounters with Cyprus and Albania. Cyprus were the opponents for the very first outing of San Marino’s international futsal project: on 20 January 2011, the Biancazzurri’s debut came precisely against Cyprus. That game ended in a 5-2 defeat, with Capicchioni and Della Balda on target for San Marino. Around nine months later came the second and most recent head-to-head, in the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012 qualifiers, when a very young Fabio Belloni scored his first goal for the national team. “Within our group, Cyprus are probably the team we must target the most if we are to think about achieving a positive result. That said, we must not forget that among the third-tier national teams we could have been drawn against, they are one of the best – and are no strangers to good results on the international stage,” comments Osimani.

Albania are the team San Marino have faced most often at international level, and next week’s clash will be the fifth competitive meeting. All past games have gone Albania’s way, although the outcome of the most recent mini-tournament shared by the two sides – in the UEFA Futsal Euro 2022 qualifiers – ultimately suited both. The head-to-head finished 4-1 to Albania (Belloni scoring the temporary 1-1), but both teams advanced from the group. “We have faced them often and they have always beaten us,” continues the San Marino coach, “but now they are a team we need to rediscover, having undergone significant renewal.”

As well as offering a succinct assessment of the upcoming opponents, Roberto Osimani sets out his objectives and the path ahead: “Given that World Cup qualifying presents challenges of a much higher level than the Euro qualifiers, our aim must be to support and foster the constant growth of San Marino futsal on the international stage. In these years we have progressed step by step, working first on defensive concepts, then focusing on our attacking output and – more recently – also registering positive results in the latest friendly tests in Croatia against other national teams (one win, three draws and two defeats from September to date – including a loss to Morocco, who went on to beat future European champions Spain in October). “The draw could certainly have been kinder, that is true, but we will approach every game with the same mentality that has characterised us in recent years, to get the most out of it and maximise our international experience. Match by match we will assess how things develop on the court, adapting to what is needed and making the right adjustments: all of this will help us understand where we have improved and where we still need to do so.”

Below are the official call-ups announced by head coach Roberto Osimani, who will be without captain Busignani, absent for personal reasons.

Individual statistics refer exclusively to World Cup and Euro qualifying matches.